I did a longish Oly race yesterday in preparation for an upcoming HIM. The bike course was a four-lap loop, and as I finished my first lap, a woman who was just mounting her bike lost control and started rolling into the oncoming bike traffic - specifically right in front of me. I was coming off a short downhill and going 25-26 mph. Even though plenty of people were screaming at her to stop, she panicked/froze and kept right on rolling across the lane.
I had nowhere to go except on to the gravel shoulder, which was lined with spectators, many of whom were sitting in those low folding chairs that you bring to the beach. As I hit the gravel, the rear of my bike went sideways, and I started flinging rocks at the spectators. By some miracle, I was able to straighten the bike out and get back on the road, but I think my rear wheel was probably inches from two people sitting in chairs when I did. Thankfully, the rider behind me was able to go behind the panicked woman and there were no bike-to-bike crashes.
It really could have been nasty - me and my bike at 25 mph crashing into a whole group of people (some of them at eye level with my bike) on a gravel surface. I have no idea what I did to deserve such good luck. I checked with a few people after the race and thankfully no one was hurt by the flinging gravel, although they did say that all the people in the chairs promptly moved across the street.
I’m not sure what the purpose of this post is, except “be careful out there,” but it is true that this stuff can happen in a flash when you least expect it.
I was 50 feet away from the spot where you almost hit the people in the chairs and I was also yelling at the woman who came across the lane at you.
I have no idea how you didn’t go down when you hit the gravel. That was the best save I’ve seen in a long time.
The family in the chairs moved up the road to where I was standing and complained about you almost hitting them until I explained that it was only your skill that kept it from happening.
The Race staff was doing all they could to keep the other racer from crossing the lane. She completely froze and rolled through.
The head race official really tore her a new one once she got back on the right side of the road.
Again, excellent save.
I can personally attest to that statement… my IMUSA race was ended a couple weeks ago by the “lack of handling skills” of another cyclist… he suddenly swerved to the left, just as I was passing him - hitting my front wheel and causing me to crash… The crash was “survivable” - I rec’d the typical road-rash on my leg, arm, elbow, shoulder… but - from the person behind me using me as a biological speed bump, my fork was broken and front wheel taco’d…
I was racing in the Antwerp half-ironman yesterday. As we headed out of town, on about mile 5 of the bike some fine Belgium man was walking his two dogs down the closed road. Now he might of thought the road was closed so his two dogs could walk down the middle of the road and the 200 cyclists ahead of me must have been lost, so he was just letting his dogs walk down the middle of the street without a leash.
Well as we came over the bridge and started our decent we see the dogs. The guy about 15 meters ahead of me starts to brake hard as the dogs separate. Unfortunately for the little dog, he cuts right and runs just under the guy’s back wheel just enough to get nipped. (the dog was fine and ran away)
Well the big dog sees this and decides he doesn’t want any part of that, so he cuts left in front of me. I hit the brakes, skid and swere to avoid of the dog. Barely - Barely miss the dog. The man walking the dogs and the first rider exchange some emotional greetings in Dutch (I couldn’t understand a word) and we continue on our way.
The way I see it, big dog goes 3 inches left = my race over. Could have been worse.
I know this is no “Rider hits Bear” story, but only a reminder that even in a race on closed course you have to stay alert.
